Introduction
n8n takes a unique approach to workflow automation pricing by offering a completely free self-hosted option alongside traditional cloud plans. This creates an interesting decision: pay for convenience or invest time in self-hosting for unlimited workflows.
The key question isn't just about cost—it's about whether you have the technical expertise to maintain a self-hosted solution and if the trade-offs are worth it. Let's break down every pricing tier and help you decide.
n8n Pricing Tiers
| Plan | Price | Executions/Month | Active Workflows | Hosting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community | $0 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Self-hosted |
| Starter | $24/mo | 2,500 | 5 | Cloud |
| Pro | $60/mo | 10,000 | 15 | Cloud |
What Each Tier Gets You
Community Plan (Free)
The Community plan gives you access to n8n's complete feature set with no execution limits. You get all 400+ integrations, unlimited workflows, and full source code access. The catch? You need to host and maintain it yourself.
- Unlimited workflows and executions
- All integrations available
- Complete control over your data
- Requires technical setup and maintenance
- Community-only support
Starter Plan ($24/month)
The Starter plan removes the technical overhead by providing cloud hosting, but introduces significant limitations. With only 2,500 executions and 5 active workflows, it's suitable for light automation needs.
- Cloud-hosted convenience
- 2,500 monthly executions (about 83 per day)
- 5 active workflows maximum
- Forum support included
- Global variables for workflow organization
Pro Plan ($60/month)
The Pro plan quadruples your execution limit and triples your workflow count. It also adds essential team features like user management and source control integration.
- 10,000 monthly executions (about 333 per day)
- 15 active workflows
- Git integration for version control
- User management and role-based access
- Priority support with faster response times
- Execution logs and debugging tools
Hidden Costs to Consider
The free Community plan isn't actually free if you factor in operational costs:
- Server hosting: $10-50/month depending on your cloud provider and usage
- Maintenance time: 2-4 hours monthly for updates, monitoring, and troubleshooting
- Backup solutions: Additional costs for reliable data backup
- SSL certificates: Free with Let's Encrypt, but requires setup
- Monitoring tools: Optional but recommended for production use
Cloud plans have their own hidden costs through execution overages, though n8n doesn't charge for exceeding limits—they simply pause workflows until the next billing cycle.
How n8n Compares to Competitors
Against Zapier's $20-$49 starter plans with 750-2,000 tasks, n8n's Starter plan offers more executions at $24. However, Zapier includes more pre-built templates and requires zero technical knowledge.
Make (formerly Integromat) starts at $9 for 1,000 operations, making it cheaper for low-volume use. But n8n's self-hosted option beats both on cost and flexibility if you can handle the technical requirements.
The key differentiator is n8n's open-source nature and code nodes, which allow custom logic that competitors can't match without expensive enterprise plans.
Which Plan Should You Pick?
Choose Community (Free) If:
- You have DevOps experience or a technical team member
- Data privacy and control are critical requirements
- You need unlimited workflows and executions
- You're comfortable with command-line setup and maintenance
Choose Starter ($24/mo) If:
- You need simple automation without technical overhead
- Your workflows run less than 2,500 times monthly
- You only need 5 or fewer active workflows
- Quick setup and managed hosting are priorities
Choose Pro ($60/mo) If:
- You need team collaboration features
- Your workflows exceed 2,500 monthly executions
- Source control integration is important
- You require priority support for business-critical automations
Verdict
n8n's free tier is genuinely worth it if you have the technical skills to maintain it. You get enterprise-level automation capabilities without monthly fees, making it unbeatable for technical teams or cost-conscious users.
For non-technical users, the Starter plan provides good value at $24/month, though the execution limits might feel restrictive compared to self-hosting. The Pro plan makes sense for teams needing collaboration features or higher execution volumes.
The self-hosted option's biggest advantage isn't just cost savings—it's complete control over your automation infrastructure and data, something no other major automation platform offers at any price.